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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. E. NELSON, Jr. ELECTRIC CASH REGISTER SYSTEM.

No. 449,249. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

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3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. E. NELSON, Jr. ELECTRIC GASH REGISTER SYSTEM.

No. 449,249. Patented Mar. 31. 1891.

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R. E; NELSON, Jr. ELECTRIC CASH REGISTER SYSTEM.

No. 449,249. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. NELSON, JR, OF COLUMBIA, VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC CASH-REGISTER SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,249, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed August 21, 1390. Serial No. 362,652. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

'le it known that I, ROBERT E. NELSON, J12, of Columbia, county of Fluvanna, and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Cash-Register Systems; and I do hereby declare that the follow ing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric cash-register systems; and it consists in a novel combination of one or more local cash registers and indicators situated at different points in a store and a central register at a distant point, whereby the value of each sale made is registered and indicated on the individual machines and is added or registered on a central register, so that at all times the central register will show the sum total of all sales made in the store.

The object of my invention is to provide a system whereby upon the depression of two or more keys simultaneously in the same machine or on dilferent machines the full value of said keys will first be added on the central register, and will then be added on their individual registers in their respective local machines, at the same time indicating on said local machines the values of the purchases made.

It also consists in combining with the local machines and said central register one or more registers located at the proprietors house or other points, so that it may be known upon inspection of said registers at any time just what amount of sales have been registered in local machines up to the time of such inspection.

It also consists in a novel comblnation and arrangements of parts hereinafter described,

and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan View of a central register and two local cash-registering machines connected therewith in electric circuit. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan showing the local machines connected with the central register. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic sectional view illustrating the mechanism in the central register and in one of the cash-registering machines connected therewith in electric circuit. Fig. 4 is partly a top plan view and partly a section showing the arrangement of the primemoving series of summation-gears, the electric actuating devices, and the indicatingdisk-operating mechanism of one of the local cash-registering machines.

The cash-registering machine which I prefer to use in my improved electric system is of my own invention, and is made the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent of the United States filed August 15, 1890, Serial No. 362,061; but the following is a brief general description of the machine which I prefer to use, although I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the use of this type of connected summation-gears in my improved electric system, as any suitable cash-registering mechanism maybe employed loosely on said shaft, each of the gear-wheels a 0 having an orbital wheel a which have their teeth meshing with the spur-gear teeth on the pairs of escapement-wheels. The pairs of wheels, the intermediate gears, and the orbital wheels constitute the primary summation-gear.

The secondary summation-gear is mounted on a fixed shaft E, which is parallel with the shaft D, and said secondary summation-gear consists of a series of pinions b b, which mesh with the gears a a on shaft D, a series of gears b 19 loosely mounted on said shaft E in pairs and connected each to the proximate pinions Z) I) by a sleeve, and gears 19*, arranged between the pairs of gears, and each of said gears Zr having an orbital wheel 11 which engages the respective pairs of gears 1) b The tertiary summation-gear is loosely mounted on a rigid shaft F, arranged parallel with the shaft E, and said tertiary summation-gear comprises two pairs of gears c c c 0, between each pair of which gears are loosely mounted the gears 0' 0 respectively, which carry orbital wheels 0*, that mesh with the pairs of gears c c. A series of pinions c are loosely fitted on the shaft F and mesh with the gears b on the shaft E, and thepinions '0 are connected to the proximate members c c of the pairs of gears by means of sleeves, as shown in Fig. 4.

The quartenary summationgear consists of a pair of gears 01 d, mounted on .a rigid parallel shaft G, and between said gears 11 d is a gear d having an orbital wheel 01 which engages said pairs of gears d d. A sleevecon-t nects the gear d with a pinion e, that engages the gear c, and on said sleeve is a miter-gear e, havingalsospur gear teeth. A. similar sleeve connects the gear d with a pinion e, which engages the other gear (5 and on this sleeve is a miter-gear 6 having also spur-gear teeth. A pair of horizontal shafts H I are arranged 'atright angles -tothe shaft G, and they are geared to the miter or bevel wheels e e said shafts carrying the. dollars and cents disks 7a Lthe two .shattsheing geared together at h and having weights and cords h for turning the indicator-disks to zero.

device may be used,) and which tends to turn all of the intermeshingrsummat-ion gea-rs and to turn all theescapement-wheels a vi in the direction indicated .by-th'earrow in Fig.3. Two disks Z, for indicating the dollars and cents, are provided for each of the cash registering machines, and'these disks are arranged to turn automatically to indicatethe value or sum of the values of the .key or keys operated in the local machine when a sale is made, and automatic'devices foropcrating said disks are connected to :a 'bar' n,

arranged under the finger-,keysfi-presently referred to, said automatic devices consisting of the fixed clutches "R on the shafts H 1, the sliding clutches S also fitted on said shafts and arranged to engage w-ith the fixed. clutches, the weighted cords Ii, theendlessstrap T, engaging the sliding-clutches "S, the upright leverYfor operating the endlesszstrap, and the sliding rod X, connected to theibar n by a link, which bar is adapted to arrest'lthe description of the preferred form of registering-machine.

The series of finger-keys 'f do'notactuate the prime-moving gears directly, "but :form

merely circuit-closers for electric'contacts 1" 2 3 4, Figs. 1 and 3. The contacts 1" and 3' are included in'the electric circuit 1 1, and

I also provide a weight and cord J, which is connected to the shaft F, (or a spring v contacts 2 4' are included in the electric circui-t2 2,as shown in Fig. 1. Retractile springs e normally raise the finger-keys and cause them to keep the contacts 1' 2 normally closed. Mounted on indepen-dent-supports are a series of pivoted escapement-palletsf, of which there is one for each escapement-wheel, and the saidescapement-pallets are provided with suitable springs, (not shown,) which keep the upper teeth of said pallets normally in engagement with the escapement-wheels, and hence the prime-moving gears are normally at rest. The arm of each escapement-pallet is provided on its lower side with a suitable armature g adapted to be-attracted by its re- ;spective electro-magnet hZ-therebein'g one of said electro-magrrets for each of the escapement-'pal;lets,and the said electro-magnets being-included-in the circuits 2 2, which arenor- ,mal'ly broken at 4". I

In each local cash-registering machine I employ -a locking device 0 for locking the drawer-When closed andzan electro-magnet r to actuate-the locking device and unlock the drawer, and also employ a suitable electric bell s -in each local cash-register machine connected-with the magnet r by the conductor 25. From this construction it will be apparentthat upon the depression of a key the bar n wiil'also be depressed ashortdistance,which will cause the bar X to begpushed toward the indicatorsk l and the vertical lever or bar Y to be turned on its-pivot. Thismovement of {the *lever or bar iY through the strap Tand clutches 'S and disconnects the indicators from the escapement mechanism and allows 'them, th:rough the weigh ted cords 'h,-to return "to zero. "In the meantime the spring-pressed an'd pivoted lug fr on the reciprocating bar R,

which is-attached tothe baror lever Y, strikes *the'flange Won the clutch R and arrests the motions of all the parts, including the bar at and the key, until a cut-away portion r on said' flange r comes opposite said lug, when said lug 1* passes through said cut-away portion, and the end of the lever or bar Y-becomes disengagedfroni strap T. As-soon as *thistaks placetheclutch S becomes again engaged *with it-he clutch R by :means of a spring, "and the key continues to descend,

closingthe circuit 'with'the central register,

whichin its iturn "closes a circuit through a local register and causes both said register and its indicator to be actuated, all as will appear more fully herein after. The cut-away portion on the "flange of "the-clutch R is so positionedthat the lug onlypassesit when the indicators are'at'zero. Hence the barn and the keys are arrested in their downward motion until said-"indicatorsare reset to zero,

. after-whichthe keys may continue to descend.

All1theparts-will automatically return to the 'position's'hownfin Fig. 3, owingto the springpressed. andpivoted lugs with which the ends o'f ythebar Y and the reciprocating bar are provided,=and-which will swing-on their pivf which normally keeps the escapement from turning, and is adapted to be attracted by its respective electro-magnet 72.3 to enable the es capement-wheel to turn through the space of one of its teeth when a finger-key of one of the local machines is operated in the manner to be presently described.

From the foregoing it will appear that the keys exert no force when operated, but sim- 2 ply momentarily release the escapementwheels of the local machines and the central register and permit the cord and weight or spring devices before referred to to turn the said wheels.

In Fig. l, A represents the electric battery, from the negative pole of which extends a conductor l). A conductor C extends from the positive pole of the battery A, and the wires of the circuits 2 2 are attached to the conductors B l, which circuits 2 2 are adapted to be closed by the fingers f at 4., of like value in all of the local machines Nos. 1, 2, 3, &c., which are connected with or included in the system. The open circuits 1 1 are connected to the poles of the battery A, and the said circuits are adapted to be closed by the finger-keys of like value in each of the local machines in the system at the contacts 3'.

The circuits If 2, in which are included the bell and electric locking devices of the various local machines, are independently connected to the positive and negative poles of the battery.

The electroanagnets 7L3 in the central register are connected to the negative conductor l3, and are in the circuits 1 1 controlled by linger-keys of like value in the local machines through the contacts 3', which are connected at their terminals to the circuits 1 1 at 42c The electro-magnets 7L2, of like value, in the local machines are included in the circuits formed by wires 4, which wires a connect at one terminal with contacts 4:. The escapementpallets f of the central register are connected, respectively, to the negative pole of the battery, as at V, and constitute shuntswitches, as will presently appear.

In Fig. 1 l have displayed the various circuits at large, illustrating two prime-moving connections or escapements of the central register and of two local machines connected in circuit therewith in order that the various CID circuits may be readily traced and the operation of the system made clear; but in practice the various conducting-wires will be arranged in cables, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

The operation of my electric cash-register system is as follows: It will be seen that all magnets, bo h in the central register and in the local machines, are joined in parallel are, except the bell-ringing and drawer-releasing magnets, which are in series, so that normally no current flows through the system. Upon the depression of any key in machine No. 1 contacts 3 and at will be closed, and the current will flow from the positive pole through wire 1, through contact 3, through wire 1, magnet 7L, conductor B and back to battery. Magnet its, being energized, will close circuit at The current noW flows through wire (1, the conductors 2 and 4., the contact a, through the magnet h the wire 2, the escapementarmature f, and back to the battery. The magnet 71 being energized, operates to close at contacts .2" the circuit 5 5, which is joined to circuit 2, t, as shown in Fig. 3, and the current flows from the positive pole of the battery through the conductor 25, bell-ringing magnet s, drawer-releasing magnet 0", conductor 5, contact .2", escapemerit-armature of magnet and the conductors 5 and t back to the battery, so that upon the depression of said key the escapement in the central register of same value as said key is first operated, and then the escapement of the same value as said key in the local machine is operated, registering the value of said key in succession at each place and ringing the bell and releasing the drawer after the registration has taken place in both machines. At the same time the value of the key depressed is indicated on the local machine through the transmitting mechanism or snmmationgears heretofore referred to. If two or more keys in the same machine are depressed simultaneously, each operating separate esca-pements in the central register through independent circuits, their full value will be added on said register, as will also their full value be added and indicated on their local machines, since the escapement mechanism in both cases is constructed as in my application aforesaid. In Fig. 1 I have shown the keys of the same value in both machine No.1 and machine No. 2 as operating the same escapement f in the central register, and it is evident that it both keys should operate this escapement simultaneously only the value of one of such keys would be registered. I overcome this objection in two ways: first, by employing a separate escapementf for each key of the same value in the different machines used, so that each of said keys and said escapements f are included in their own individual circuits; second, by employing a cut-out device by means of which when both keys are in the same circuit with said escapementf one of the keys will be cutout while the other is registering. This cut-out device is'shown in Fig. 1. Springs normally hold the keys against theupper contacts 1 2, as shown, and if the key in machine No. 2- should be depressed'while the corresponding key in machine No. 1 is not depressed the current will flow through wire 1, contact 1 in machine N0. 1, and down to machine No. 2, contact 3 in'said machine, through wire 1, magnet h, and back 'to battery, as before. Contact 2 is closed and the current flows through wires 0 and the wire 2, the contact 2 in machine No. 1,,the -wires2 and 4, the contact 4:, the magnet ]L2, and the-wire 4 in machine No. 2, the'wire 2, contact a, armaturef', and back to battery, as before. Thecircuit is also made through contact 2 of machine No. 2, wire 75, bell, andv drawer-relcasi-ng -magnet, as before, so thatso long'as key in ma chine No. 1 is raised. thevalueof the key in machine No. 2 will be registered on the central register and indicated and registered on its local-register, as in the first case; "but if while the key in machine No. 2-.is depressed I also depress: a key of the .same value in machine No. 1,.contacts 1'-'2-will be broken in machine No. 1, and--no registration from machineNo. 2 can take place, machine No.- 1 only actuating the central register. In this case the operator at-machine Nor-2 will continue to hold his key untiluhe hears the bell ring in his machine, when heknows that the key in machine No. 1 has been raised,- contacts 1'2 made, and his own machine'has registered at the central register. .In like manner it will be seen that the key at machine-No. 2 will cut outthekey at machine No.- 3, and

so on.

' Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a cash-registersystem, thecombination of a'series of groups of keys of different values, a single register at a distantpoint, and connecting mechanism, whereby upon the simultaneous operation of one or-more-keys in each'group their full value willalways be added on said register.

2. In a cash-register system, the "combination of a series of groups of keys of diifer'ent values, a single register atadistant point,and connecting mechanism, whereby upon the simultaneous operation at any time of two or more keys in-the same group their'full'value will be added on said register.

3. In a cash-register system, the combination of series of machines, each having a series of keys and an indicator, a central register, and connecting mechanism adapted to transmit at all times unaltered to said central register the full value of any two or more I simultapeously-operated keys of thesystem and to indicate the value of the keys onitheir respective machines.

4. In a cash-register system,acombination of a series of machines, each havinga series of keys, a register, and an indicatonacentral register, and connecting mechanism adapted to transmit to said central register the full value of any two ormore simultaneously-operated keys of the system and to indicate and register the value of the keys on their re spective machines.

5. In a cash-register system, thecombination of a central register,-a machine having a series of keys, a register, and an indicator, and mechanism adapted to transmit from the machine to said central register the full value of an operated key and to transmit from said central register to the machine'the samevalue.

6. In a cash-register's'ystem, a combination of a central register, a machine-having aseries of keys, an indicator,and a register,

and mechanism adapted to transmit from the machine to the central register the full value of two or more simultaneously-operated keys and to transmit from said central register 'to the register and indicator ofthe machine the samevalue. V

- 7.- In a cash-register system, the'combination of acentral register, a series of machines, each having a series of keys, an indicator, and a" register, and mechanism adapted to transmit from'said machines tosaid-centralregister the full value of any two or more si-.

multaneously-operated keys of'the system and to transmit from said central register to each individual machine the values of their respectively-operated keys. I

8. In a cash-register system, the combination of a series of machines, each having a series of keys and a register, a central register at a distant point, and mechanism adapted to transmit to said central register the full value of'any operated key and for arresting'said key fora brief interval of time just before the registration takes place.

'9. In a cash-register system, the combination of a series of machines, each having a series of keys, aregister, and an indicator, a central register, and mechanism whereby upon the-simultaneous operation of any two keys they will be arrested in their motion,

their full value will be transmitted to said central register, and their respective indicators reset.

10. In a cash-register, the combination of a-series of machines, each having a series of keys, a register, an indicator, and a cashdrawer, a central register, and mechanism whereby upon the operation of any keys of the system their full value will be transmitted to said central register and will be added and indicated on their respectivemachines, and the drawers of each will be released.

.11. In a cash-register system, the combination of a series of groups of keys of different values, a central register, and mechanism whereby upon the simultaneous operation of two or more keys of the same value in the difierent groups only the key in a predeterminedgroup will actuate said register.

12. In a cash-register system, the combination of aseries of groups of keys ofdifferent values, a central register, and mechanism whereby upon the simultaneous operation of several keys of the same value in the different groups only those in a predetermined group will actuate the central register.

13. In a cash-register system, a combination of a series of groups of keys of difierent values, a register connected therewith, and a cutting-out mechanism whereby upon the operation of two or more keys of the same value, but in different groups, all but one of said keys will be disconnected from said register.

14. In a cash-register system, the combination, of a central register, a series of machines, each having a series of keys, a register, and a bell, and mechanism whereby upon the simultaneous operation of two keys of the same value in different machines each key will actuate said central register and ring their bells in succession.

15. In a cash-register system, the combination of a central register, a series of machines, each having a drawer, and mechanism whereby said drawer is released only after the registration has taken place on said central register and on its individual machine.

16. In a cash-register system, the combination of a series of complete machines, a central register operated from any one of said machines, and an additional register at a distant point operated from said central register, substantially as described.

17. In a cash-register system, the combination, with a central register having its escapement-magnets arranged in parallel are, of a local register, also having its escapementmagnets arranged in parallel are, a bell and drawer-releasing magnets arranged in series, and means for successively energizing said escapementmagnets.

18. In a cash-register system, the combination of a central register and two or more cal registers having their escapement-magnets all arranged in parallel arc, and contact-keys for actuating the escapements of the central register from said local register, substantially as described.

19. In electric cash-register systems, the combination, with a central register, of a series of local cash-registers connected therewith in electric circuit, the keys of the local cash-registers constituting circuit-closers and adapted to transmit always to said central register their full value when simultaneously operated, substantially as described.

20. In electric cash-register systems, the central register, the local registeringmachines connected in circuit therewith and having the circuit-closing keys, the electric locking device, and the electrically-operated shunt-switches to operate the locking device and hence prevent the drawer of the local machine from being opened until after registration takes place, substantially as described.

21. In an electric caslrregister, the combination of the prime-moving gear, the escapement to release it, the finger-key, and connected electro-magnet to operate the escapement, and the electric locking device for the drawer, connected in shunt-circuit with the escapement, substantially as described.

22. In a cash-register system, the combina tion of one or more local registers and indicators and a central register connected to and operating said local. registers and indicators.

23. In an electric cash-register system, the combination of one or more local cash registers and indicators and a central register electrically connected therewith and adapted to be operated from said local registers and indicators and to operate said local registers and indicators from itself.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I append my signature.

ROBERT E. NELSON, JR.

Witnesses:

J. W. GARNER, LYDIA OA'rTELL. 

